My statistics teacher in high school declared, "I haven't gambled a cent in any casino in my life," as his way of underscoring the negative returns from gambling. It is something I wish I took to heart when I was in college, but thankfully my losses were manageable and nothing drastic. My dad, on the other hand, has gambled quite a lot (think being comped everywhere he went), and thankfully he has learned his lesson and hasn't gambled for a long time.
I'm happier not imbibing in the least.